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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a path
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. track — a song
  18. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com